QR Tag &amp DNA: DNA 11 Ancestry Portraits

Product:DNA 11 Ancestry PortraitPrice: $440Rating: Strong Recommend*It seems like everywhere you look today there are QR Tags and now thanks to custom art pieces from DNA 11, the seemingly ubiquitous codes can now be found inside your home. Being curious about our ancestry, we happily said yes, when DNA 11, the company that brought us the DNA and Fingerprint Portraits, asked us if we were interested in reviewing their latest product, the Ancestry Portrait.

The Process:Since the Ancestry Portrait is made from your DNA, the process begins with the DNA 11 DNA collection kit being mailed to your address. Inside this kit are the collection swabs as well as examples of the different QR tag color options for you to choose from. The instructions are clear and collecting the DNA from inside the mouth is quick and simple. The process is also not messy thanks to the collection swab having a nice little push button to detach it from the stem. Once the DNA collection is complete you send off the sample with your information and color choice in the enclosed mailer. If you have already had a DNA ancestry test done, you can send these results to DNA 11 and receive $150 off the price of your art piece.

DNA 11 uses your DNA results to obtain your mt DNA Haplogroup. This group represents your maternal ancestry. The information that the QR Tag will link to will provide a brief description of your Haplogroup and a map that will show the distribution of the group. The DNA sequencing that DNA 11 does will not tell you who your dad is, but instead will give you an overview of where your maternal ancestors are from. I am a first generation American and my family does not have very good records, so learning anything about my ancestry was a very exciting prospect.

The Finished Product:The art piece arrives about 4-6 weeks after the DNA sample is received and is printed on canvas by Canvas Pop. Inside of the box with the canvas is information about DNA 11 and a certificate of authentic DNA art. Each art piece links to a Personal Ancestry page that is created with your Haplogroup information. To obtain your ancestry information, you snap a picture of the QR Tag via the free iPhone app from DNA 11. If you do not have an iPhone you can download a scanning app for your device from ScanLife. DNA 11 makes sharing your results easy, with Twitter and Facebook sharing built into the Personal Ancestry page.

As soon as I told my mother I had received the art piece she was clamoring for the results. Even though the Haplogroup data is not very specific, it was still exciting for my family to hear since we do not have much information about our ancestors. My mother quickly shared the results with my aunt and soon the rest of the extended family all learned what the QR Tag hanging on my wall had to say about our ancestry. To say that the Ancestry Portrait was a hit with my family would be a massive understatement.

The Bottom Line (& Who Should Buy):If you are looking for a piece of art that is unique and a bit geeky, the Ancestry Portrait is just the thing. Judging from our mom's response to the piece, we think this would make a great gift for the tech savvy parent who recently fell in love with their smartphone. The prices range from $440 for the 12" x 12" to $840 for the 40" x 40".

Our Ratings:Strong Recommend*RecommendWeak RecommendDon't Recommend

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.